Major Burns
Overview
There are a variety of major burn injuries that can affect patients, and our team at the iCare ER & Urgent Care in Frisco and Fort Worth, TX are prepared to treat many different types and severity of burns. Chemical, electrical, and thermal burns are the most common varieties we seen at iCare. Whether you are seeking pain relief from a mild heat burn or need emergency care for the results of an electrical burn, our highly trained team of doctors can help.
Type of Burns
Chemical Burns
Caused by coming into contact with chemicals either on the skin, through swallowing them, or by breathing them in, chemical burns can be unpredictable and should be treated professionally in most cases. Common culprits of chemical burns are bleach, metal cleaners, pool chlorinators, drain cleaners, and concrete mix. Symptoms of a chemical burn can include redness, burning, irritation, pain, numbness, blisters or blackened skin, cough or difficulty breathing, change in vision, or vomiting.
Electrical burns
When an electric current flows through the body, it can often cause serious burns both to the skin, internal organs, and muscles. Lightning, as well as manmade sources, can cause electrical burns. While small shocks may not appear to be dangerous or damaging, the depth of the injury is often difficult to assess and should be treated by a medical professional in most cases.
Thermal Burns
Caused by fire, steam, hot liquids, or hot objects, these thermal burns are the most common burns treated at iCare:
First-degree burns
First-degree burns, the mildest, usually cause redness, swelling, and pain. These are surface burns that generally will heal within a few days to a week.
Second-degree burns
Second-degree burns sear into the first and second layers of skin and often cause red, splotchy skin, pain, swelling, and a moist appearance on the surface. Blistering and scarring can sometimes occur.
Third-degree burns
Third-degree burns affect the top 2 layers of skin as well as the fat layer underneath the skin. This is the most severe type of burn and can destroy nerves and cause numbness. These scarring burns will cause charred black, white, waxy, or leathery skin.
Seeking Medical Care
A minor burn can often be treated at home, but in many instances, chemical, electrical, and fire burns should be treated immediately. If the person who has been burned is a child younger than 5, an older adult (a senior), or someone with a weak immune system, they should be seen right away.
Seek treatment if you have been burned and experience the following symptoms:
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- Second- and third-degree burns
- Burns located on the hands, feet, groin, buttocks, face, or a large area of the body
- Difficulty breathing
- Large blisters
- Infected burns with pus or pungent-smelling drainage
- Fever
- Excessive swelling and redness
- Red streaks leading from the burn
- Blisters filled with green or brown fluid
- Any burn that covers more than a 1/4 of a body part
- A burn that does not heal in 10 days
- Severe pain
What to Expect
Depending on the specific type and severity of your burn, our team of physicians will treat you either in the Urgent Care or the ER. In emergency situations, stabilization will be the primary focus. If the burn is serious, fluids given through an IV line may be necessary. In the case of chemical or electrical burns, medical tests may be needed to establish the type of chemical or the extent of internal damage. Our onsite laboratory is equipped with the latest technology so that your test results can be returned quickly and treatment can begin. Treatment for any type of burn will generally include a gentle cleansing and decontamination, administration of pain medication, either orally or topically, and antibiotics might be used in some cases to ward off infection. In the event that a patient requires hospitalization or other procedures that we do not offer at iCare, we are able to transfer them to a hospital for admission.
